Alabama-Arkansas, the day after... (with a special treat from ESPN)

Hello from the Dallas Airport, where we'll file today's edition of a look at what happened yesterday. By the way, for those who are curious about such things, I spent the aftermath of the game at Doe's in Fayetteville, and it was outstanding. As good as any place I've been.

There is a lot to get to about game, but before that happens. First, a little news you guys might like:

For the second time this season, ESPN's College GameDay is hanging out with Alabama. That's right. I just got confirmation that the popular pre-game show will be in Athens, Ga., when the Tide plays No. 3 Georgia Saturday. Should be a crazy atmosphere.

A few interesting developments on Saturday. First, Glen Coffee can run a little bit. The junior, who has been through a whole bunch of leg injuries, definitely didn't look this fast last year. But now, two weeks in a row, he's busted big runs and out-run guys. No wonder he was saying after the game that he didn't want to hear from anyone about how he wasn't fast.

Last week, after a 51-yarder, he got caught.

"Yeah, we were joking around about that," quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "He's got (the speed), he can kick it up a notch. I was booting out, and I saw the lane. I mean, huge. He broke a tackle and it was off to the races. It was good to see him get out there and show the speed, because he's got it."

Suddenly, the Tide's running backs appear able to stand up with any in the conference. As good as Georgia's? Maybe not. But Coffee is averaging only 12 fewer yards per game than Knowshon Moreno, and 2 more yards per carry. That's helped by those long runs. That led coach Nick Saban and players to spread the credit around.

"I think our receivers are probably doing a better job of blocking downfield," Saban said. "Most of the time when you have long runs, it's usually attributed to that. And Glen has a better understanding of the offense."

And there is always that offensive line, a unit that is healthy and together again. Think that helped? Coffee does.

"Our offensive line is one of the best in the country," Coffee said. "I'm just glad we run behind that athletic front. That big run happened because the receivers blocked downfield and the O-line took care of the line up front."

His, obviously, wasn't the only big play. Javier Arenas, Justin Woodall, and Roy Upchurch also turned in a few. Arenas and Woodall had pick-6s, and Upchurch had a long TD run. What does this do for the team? Duh.

"Oh man, I don't want to say it takes tension off you, but it gets you more into the game," cornerback Marquis Johnson said. "That's what we prepare for, making plays. We always want turnovers, more and more turnovers. Coaches say, at some point, turnovers are going to make the difference. If the offense is going bad, the defense is going bad, somebody's got to make a turnover. We knew the great teams make turnovers and that's what we focused on this week."

Woodall provided a thus-far career highlight with his pick. The crucial moment came when he put a move on Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick, causing him to fall down while attempting to make the tackle. Now, for those who watch the AND1 Mix-Tape Tour on ESPN, you know that when a guy falls down, he's got to leave the court.

I asked Woodall if he ever watched that. "Oh yeah," he said. So, I asked, Did he think Dick had to leave the field? Woodall started laughing.

"Nah..." he said. "I really didn't see him for real. I just looked back and there he was."

But for Arkansas, there weren't so many big plays. Some of the credit goes to nose tackle Terrence Cody, who held his own against respected center Jonathan Luigs.. No wonder there wasn't much room for the Hogs, who gained just 92 yards on the ground.

"I pray they run the ball," Cody said. "I like stopping the run, and showing how physical I am and how dominant I am."

It all created the huge margin. Were players surprised by the 35-point shellacking?

"Yeah, yes," Wilson said. "The way we came out, we kinda dictated the way the game was played. We made them do what we wanted them to do, pretty much. We ran the ball at will, we didn't even have to throw the ball."

Center Antoine Caldwell was a little more diplomatic, providing a response that explains the team's mindset. He was asked if he looked at the scoreboard in amazement.

"Last year, probably yes," Caldwell said. "This year, no. We really don't play to the scoreboard. Every play, go out and try to dominate. Play in ourselves and that's what we did."